Missouri DE Michael Sam was an All-America in 2013. / Tim Sharp, AP

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

That idea has hit us with a speed rush, in football parlance, with Michael Sam coming out Sunday to reveal he's gay.

The All-America defensive end from the University of Missouri is poised to become the first openly gay active player in the NFL - a league that in recent months has been the backdrop for a number of incidents that fuel questions about the acceptance level for this social breakthrough.

Ready or not NFL, here he comes.

Sam, who told his Missouri teammates in August about his sexual orientation and then put together a season that earned him co-Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Southeastern Conference, came out of the closet less than two weeks before heading to the NFL scouting combine.

As an institution, the NFL has done its part with policies addressing inclusion and workplace environment - which mandate that locker rooms comply with federal laws like other businesses.

This day was coming, indeed.

Actually, it has been here for a while in some form or fashion.

"I played with guys who didn't come out publicly, but they were gay," Matt Birk, who retired last year after 15 seasons as an NFL center, told USA TODAY Sports.

"And they knew that everybody in the locker room knew."

Birk doesn't believe acceptance will be an issue for Sam in this changing world, where experts point to more tolerance by a younger generation.

The acceptance that was exhibited by Sam's teammates at Missouri - who embraced him to the point that they guarded his secret and allowed him to come out on his terms - will now be the expectation on the next level. Accept him as a teammate and play ball.

Yet I'm wondering how many players in the high-testosterone world of the NFL might suddenly go into the closest to stifle politically-incorrect hesitation about playing with or against a gay player.

Yes, even in 2014.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma expressed doubts a few days ago to The NFL Network - voicing the stereotypical homophobia about showering in a locker room with a gay player.

Uh oh.

"It'll be something to see how he lands on the quarterback, and what people will say," Keyshawn Johnson, the former NFL receiver who is now an ESPN analyst, told USA TODAY Sports.

"Or if he congratulates a teammate with a pat on the butt, what will the reaction be?"

Johnson, too, doesn't envision much of an acceptance issue for Sam in today's NFL - stressing that winning is the bottom line. He said that he would have "zero" problems playing with a gay teammate.

Still, in Sam's case, the team that he lands with - he's projected as a mid-round pick - is of extreme importance. There are frankly some teams better equipped to handle the attention (or distraction, as some would call it) that will be attached to a trailblazer.

The Miami Dolphins would seem to be a horrible fit, given the issues that led to Jonathan Martin walking out on the team amid allegations of bullying, and a suspension for guard Richie Incognito.

Sam would be best served on a strong front office and coaching staff, and one with strong locker room leadership. Like the New England Patriots. Despite the murder charges levied against tight end Aaron Hernandez last summer, the circus surrounding since-released quarterback Tim Tebow, and an assortment of key injuries, no-nonsense coach Bill Belichick still guided the Patriots to the AFC title game. And team owner Robert Kraft â?? who over the years has said he doesn't want to win with "thugs" - went on record with The Boston Herald on Monday saying he would welcome any player to the fold who could help the franchise win, regardless of sexual preference.

And can't you hear Belichick in a press conference, dead-panning that he's only going to address questions about football.

The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks would be another ideal spot, given coach Pete Carroll's philosophy to allow for individualism by players within the program. See Marshawn Lynch and Richard Sherman. The Philadelphia Eagles, with a progressive owner in Jeffrey Lurie and a cutting-edge coach in Chip Kelly, might fit the bill, too. The Eagles, remember, gave Michael Vick the chance to resurrect his career coming out prison after a dogfighting conviction.

Birk's last team, the Baltimore Ravens, might be another option, led by general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh.

"It'd be pretty much a non-issue there," Birk said.

Until this season, the Ravens locker room included one of the most vocal players in the league on matters of inclusion in former special teams standout Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Interestingly, Ayanbadejo - who was among several supporters with Sam over the weekend when he came out - doesn't think the Ravens would be a good fit.

But that conclusion has nothing to do with Sam's sexual orientation or the Ravens willingness to accept him. It's about football. And that's the way it should be.

Sam, 6-1 5/8, 260, is what scouts consider a "tweener" â?? small for a pro style defensive end, big for an outside linebacker who would have to drop in pass coverage.

"In the Ravens scheme, he would have to be an outside linebacker," Ayanbadejo said, "so that would be an adjustment."

Ayanbadejo believes that the younger the team, the better for Sam. He is concerned that older teams won't be as open-minded. Yet old in the NFL is relative. An overwhelming percentage of players in the NFL are in their 20s; when players hit 30 they are typically in the stretch run of their careers.

Johnson, on the other hand, considers age and suspects that could factor in slip-ups.

"You'll always have some insensitive fools who will say something stupid â?? probably somebody who's young, who doesn't know any better," Johnson said. "But you'll also have some people in the locker room putting them in their place."

There's probably more intrigue about how Sam will interact within the confines of the locker room than there is about how he will deal with the noise inside visiting stadiums. Heckling in huge football stadiums can be limited, and where it does exist it may become a unifying factor for Sam and his team.

Besides, the weekly games last about three hours.

The rest of the time is spent away from the crowds. Including practices, weight-room sessions and meetings, it's a long work week. That's where Sam will have the opportunity to earn the respect, trust and acceptance from his teammates.

"I don't miss the game, I miss the locker room," Birk said.

"The locker room is such an eclectic collection. There's white and black, rich and poor, guys from the north and south. God. Allah. Muhammad. But man to man, there's a great amount of respect, because nobody goes to work and says it's easy."

With his game-changing revelation, no one will start a new job quite like Sam.